An Adventure She’ll Never Forget: Local Teacher Makes the Most of Camping Challenges

Camping can certainly be a fun family adventure but what happens if you pack up the loads of "survival gear" and drive a few hours out of town only to face unpleasant weather and closed attractions? Well, you could go all Clark Griswold or you could make the best of your trip like local teacher, Adrienne Mayse. Check out her camping chronicles and how she dealt with unforeseen challenges on her camping trip to Lake Monroe Village near Bloomington.

by Adrienne Mayse

Do Popsicles Travel Well?

It is 11:26 a.m. and I feel like I have been packing for our little trip forever. We are going to Lake Monroe Village up near Bloomington. Every year, we try to take at least one outdoorsy family getaway. It's usually only a few days, but the tradition has become one of our top five favorite things ever. And living in the Evansville area, we've found there are a lot of options for quick overnights within only a few hours’ drive.

As I throw sunscreen, trail mix, hot dogs, swimsuits, popsicles, band-aids and bottled water alongside my husband, child and dog in our little Pontiac Vibe, I am thinking about the screened-in porch and the quiet trees, about watching my daughter flap around with her water wings.

But first, we have to get ready to go, trying to leave room for the people.

Fishing for a Dry Spot

It is 4:00 and we have arrived at our cabin, a cute, two-roomer just on the edge of the woods. It’s pouring, so the beach is out. We try to walk down to the fishing hole anyway (having heard fish bite in the rain?), but we might as well have gone swimming for how wet we get, and we have to turn back or go slip and sliding down to the lake.

Tonight, instead of building a fire, we read Chronicles of Narnia while the trees whip back and forth in the storm.

It's All Going as Unplanned

Luckily, the morning dawns brightly, and we get to fish (catching nothing), swim (the beach was closed due to high water, but our site has a pool, thank God), build a fire (both my husband’s and my daughter’s first taste of a S’more), and sit out watching the stars late into the night.

Not everything went as planned on our little retreat, but that didn’t matter one bit. We had fun. We were together. That’s all that mattered.

Love the Outdoors?

Sportsmen, mark your calendars! The 1st Annual Evansville Outdoor Expo is set for Saturday, July 19th & Sunday, July 20th, 2014 at the Old National Events Plaza – The Centre! The event will feature exhibitors, demonstrations, giveaways, special guest appearances and a show by the high-flying Fetch-N-Fish team! You don’t want to miss a minute of the action at the 2014 Evansville Outdoor Expo!